I've purchased every album as they were released since I became a fan back in '94... had albums I loved and played to death (Emancipation, Rave, Planet Earth) and then other releases which left me cold (3121, Art Official Age)... but I always felt that a new Prince CD was essential, not just for collectors purposes, but because even the lesser albums were more than worth the cost of a CD.

Recently listening to Musicology again for the first time since his passing, it struck me how some of the albums I had once rated fairly lowly are actually much better than I had previously given them credit for. I guess his death puts things into perspective somewhat, suddenly the music is more precious than ever, because you realise it's not on an endless tap and that there will never be another new Prince album from the man himself.

I was never one of the harshest fans who routinely dismissed his latest offerings, and even before his death I always saw value in most of what he decided to put out, but now it feels like each album is gold dust in our hands and I can't help but feel like the old cliche is true about not knowing what you've got till it's gone.

[Edited 4/24/16 4:39am]

I think some of us did. I was guilty. I began not even listening to his latest stuff and thinking oh i'll check it out later. Back in the day i would run out to find his new music.

when he passed and people started posting all this footage of him i am now like omg what the hell was i thinking? This is the greatest genius of our lifetime.

I will now do the cliche thing and slowly make sure i have every song he every released.

Eh I think the last great stuff he put out was Musicology/3121. Ever since Planet Earth it's been downhill or stagnant, but not really something that evokes the word "great". Still doesn't mean he couldn't kick ass whenever he performed these last years.

teezee said:

Eh I think the last great stuff he put out was Musicology/3121. Ever since Planet Earth it's been downhill or stagnant, but not really something that evokes the word "great". Still doesn't mean he couldn't kick ass whenever he performed these last years.

You say that, but songs like Colonized Mind, Planet Earth, Future Soul Song, Ol Skool Company, Crimson & Clover, Way Back Home, Here, Anotherlove, The One U Wanna C... those songs are as good as anything else in his catalogue.

Hey MattyJam, try to think positive, maybe the vault will open up (like heaven itself) and out will come thirty new albums we've never heard before. It could potentially be incredible with new music videos, unreleased concert footage, etc. You never know what the future holds.

No, we were here because we didn't take it for granted. Sure, some might have not liked anything he put out in 20 (or 30) years but that was up to them. I would assume they still don't like the music in recent years, but if it has changed well then good. I think a lot of people figured they'd get around to newer stuff when they felt like getting back into Prince, and that was cool too. There was no rule that you had to be in 100% fan-mode at all times throughout your life.

What mattered to me was that he was still trying, even if I didn't always love the results I appreciated the effort. It was never boring and he didn't rest on his laurels with legacy releases/tours. Besides, there were always gems to be found. I'm very sad that we'll no longer hear his attempts to take on whatever is next in the pop world.

[Edited 4/25/16 3:16am]

I did feel that some of his genius faded as he grew older...especially with his songwriting. But the brain is part of the body and the body deteriorates with age. There is nothing be ashamed of with that.

However the last two Atlanta shows demonstrated that he hadn't lost much, if anything with his live performances. His voice sounded great and he was full of passion. He should have had many more years left to entertain and I think it meant a lot to him that he coudl still rock a crowd like that.

FunkiestOne said:

I did feel that some of his genius faded as he grew older...especially with his songwriting.

I couldn't disagree more. Maybe the quantity of it diminished somewhat, but there are plenty of great songs to be found on his last few albums.

MattyJam said:

You say that, but songs like Colonized Mind, Planet Earth, Future Soul Song, Ol Skool Company, Crimson & Clover, Way Back Home, Here, Anotherlove, The One U Wanna C... those songs are as good as anything else in his catalogue.

No, they're not but who cares if you enjoy them?

MattyJam said:

I guess another thing we don't always realize is that with age, at least for most people, ur capacity for being truly impressed and listening to the same album over and over diminushes. But i've enjoyed every Prince release till the very end. Of course maybe not with the same near-hysterical passion I had when I was a teenager, but with the same care and fondness. Some albums impressed me more than others, as I got to listen to lots of other things, but I've enjoyed every album. I truly hope Prince's legacy is handled with fairness when (hopefully) it comes to releasing vault material.

Too often public perception is like this:

1978-1979

1980-1987

1988-1993

1994-2016

In my case it's mouch more balanced with an similar level of interest for 1994-2016 than earleir eras.

[Edited 4/25/16 5:08am]